Montana’s hotly contested Senate race has highlighted public safety concerns among the state’s Native American community, a key voting bloc in the 2018 reelection of Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.
The Montana Democrat is used to close races. He won his first reelection in 2012.Approx. 18,700He received the most votes and narrowly defeated incumbent Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Montana).By a margin of just over 17,900 votesIn 2018A surge in Native American votersAccording to Charl Kusta News, this contributed to his victory.
Those voters will again play a key role in the Montana Senate race between Tester and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, who won the Republican primary in June. Cook Political Report RatingsThe race is “even-fifty,” with former President Trump winning the state in 2020 by more than 16 points, or about 99,000 votes.
Crime has become an issue in the 2024 election, with public safety concerns including missing and murdered Native Americans (MMIPs), fentanyl and a lack of law enforcement topping the list of issues for tribal leaders.
“We’re seeing an increase in fentanyl, opiates and other drugs, so increased law enforcement is even more important,” William Snell Jr., executive director of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leadership Council, told The Hill.
Tester, a longtime member and former chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, last week pressed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review “unacceptable” public safety practices by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Montana.
In “direct conversations” with tribal leaders in Montana, he expressed concern about an “extreme shortage” of trained law enforcement and inadequate detention facilities and officers.
When asked about the timing of the letter, Jeff Stifarm, chairman of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes of Fort Belknap Indian Community, said, “It’s an election year.”
“He’s up for reelection and he needs votes, but that should have happened years ago,” Stifarm said, adding that he has been working on the issue since he was elected three years ago.
According to the BIA, eight federally recognized Indian tribes live on seven reservations in Montana. As of 2023, 6.4% of Montana’s more than 1.1 million residents were Native American.According to the Census Bureau:That’s a sizable chunk of voters, roughly four times Tester’s previous margin of victory.
Snell, the former BIA police officer, said Tester “has always been supportive of the issue and has always tried to make sure something gets done.”
“I don’t think it’s just about race,” Snell said.
Both have reached out to Native Americans in Montana.
This spring, the Montana Democratic Party launched a seven-figure outreach campaign.Mobilizing Native American Voters.
The Montana Republican Party did not respond to questions about whether it had launched a similar outreach effort, but Sheehy made a direct appeal to Native American voters at a rally earlier this month with President Trump, who endorsed Sheehy.
“To our Native American brothers and sisters, what has the Democratic Party ever done for you?” Sheehy asked at the rally.
“Montana communities, especially tribal communities, have been devastated by drugs and crime due to Jon Tester’s endorsement of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ radical open border, pro-amnesty, pro-illegal immigration policies,” Sheehy said in a statement to The Hill.
“It’s shameful that Jon Tester and America Last Democrats are prioritizing illegal immigration and sending billions of dollars to foreign countries over the safety of communities at home,” he continued. “As a senator, I will do whatever it takes to secure our border, stop invasions, ensure our tribal neighbors have the resources they need to keep their communities safe, and put America first.”
Sheehy Attacked in May The “sham” bipartisan border bill was killed by Senate Republicans after President Trump called it “pointless” and a “gift” to Democrats’ re-election chances, and criticized Tester for supporting the bill as Democrats try to highlight GOP resistance to proposals that would address one of the GOP’s biggest concerns ahead of the election.
“Senator Tester has led the effort to ensure Congress upholds its treaty and trust responsibilities to Indian reservations,” Tester spokesman Eli Cousin said. “Senator Tester has done significant work for Montana tribes.”
First Law TesterIntroduced as Senator A federal recognition bill for the Little Shelchippewa Tribe was introduced in 2007, and the tribe transitioned from state to federal recognition as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Bill.
He also praised the nomination of Montana attorney Dana Jackson to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Montana, who, if confirmed by the Senate, will be the first Native American to serve as a federal judge in the state.
Tester worked with five other Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan infrastructure bill that secured hundreds of millions of dollars for tribal water rights settlements, $3.5 billion for the Indian Health Service Sanitation Construction Program, $2 billion to support tribal broadband connectivity programs, and $3 billion for tribal transportation programs.
Public safety issues and law enforcement shortages in Montana’s Native American communities have also been a priority for Tester, who has notably alienated the Harris-Walz pair.
In a letter to the GAO last week, he said he works through his position on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee to “ensure that the BIA has sufficient resources to hire officers and enhance other public safety activities,” but he wants to make sure those resources are being used appropriately.
“I will continue to fight for these critical funds, but it is clear that more oversight is needed to ensure these funds are being used effectively,” Tester wrote.
Snell said the issue is not just the ability to hire and retain officers, but also the ability to add to their ranks.
The BIA is “always willing to listen, but the issue is how to implement it,” Snell said.
“This isn’t just a matter of awareness and knowledge, it’s the actions that are needed to effectively address the problem. And I think that’s where the issue gets stuck.”
In the Senate Appropriations CommitteeMay hearingPresident’s Budget Request,Brian Newland, Under Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, told the committee that despite recent increases, the U.S. is only funding 13 percent of the total need for the Department of the Interior’s public safety and justice programs.
Newland gave the same figure the day before before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.Public Safety Hearings“It is clear that there is a significant gap between current funding levels and current obligations for public safety on Indian reservations,” he said.
When Newland testified again the next day before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester pressed him about the lack of funding for tribal law enforcement.
“You know better than anyone that law enforcement on Indian reservations isn’t very good,” Tester said, noting the challenges of covering a vast area with only a few officers.
Newland agreed, “We need more police officers on Indian reservations. We need more funding for law enforcement officers.”
Tester told Newland that the assistant secretary needs to be “more vocal” about the funding needed to get it done.
“We are grateful to work with members of Congress who recognize the chronic underfunding of public safety on Indian reservations,” BIA spokesman Joshua Barnett said.
“We similarly value tribal involvement and contributions to effectively combating crime across Indian reservations,” Barnett added.
The BIA provides direct law enforcement services to two tribes, currently with 14 officers for the Crow Tribal Agency and seven for the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Agency, while other tribes have chosen to take over the management and administration of programs, including law enforcement, through self-determination or self-governance agreements.
Tester raised concerns earlier this year that he had heard from tribal leaders that local law enforcement officers funded by federal contracts were being paid less than BIA employees in comparable positions. The Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana made similar claims in a 2022 lawsuit against the BIA, including against Newland.
In an amended complaint filed last November, the tribe said “current funding is insufficient to provide the tribe with the most basic law enforcement services” and alleges that the agency has “arbitrarily and capriciously misappropriated the tribe’s 638 contract funds over the years.” ContractIt provides certain services, such as law enforcement, through the federal government.
“As a result, the tribe suffers from a chronic shortage of patrol officers and dispatchers and has experienced chronic high rates of violent crime, property crime and drug abuse,” according to the lawsuit.
The BIA denied both allegations in a response to the complaint filed in March after a judge denied a motion to dismiss the case. Barnett, the BIA spokesman, declined to comment on ongoing litigation.
Stifarm said success for him would mean “not only for Fort Belknap to receive more funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but also for other tribes that are in the same situation as us.”
